CHARLIE Dixon's Port Adelaide debut wasn't the most polished display of his 66-game career, but the Power got precisely what they asked for from the boom recruit, skipper Travis Boak says.
Dixon fought an enthralling battle with St Kilda veteran Sam Fisher in the Power's 33-point triumph at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, and the powerhouse forward finished with three majors coming off an injury-interrupted pre-season.
But Boak said Dixon ticked the most important box by presenting a marking target for the Power's midfielders and allowing Port's dangerous small forwards – led by Robbie Gray (four goals) and Chad Wingard (three) - to crumb at his feet.
"I thought he just kept competing. He ended up with three goals but just the target he was down there (was important)," Boak told AFL.com.au.
"There was a number of times when it was one-against-two and he just brought the ball to ground and Robbie, Neadey (Jake Neade) and Chaddy were able to crumb off it.
"I thought it was fantastic, he was able to compete with Schulzy (Jay Schulz) and in the end he got a reward."
Despite flying for numerous attempts, Dixon didn't take the first of his three marks until the second quarter.
But the 25-year-old also laid five tackles and was swamped by his teammates after slotting his first goal for the club – after 94 goals for Gold Coast – from a free-kick in the third term.
Dixon, who was traded to Port on a big-money five-year deal, then cashed-in with two goals in the Power's rampant final term, including a 55m bomb from near the boundary line.
Boak admitted the Power's marking targets weren't helped by the service from the midfield early in the Saints clash – with visiting ruckman Tom Hickey dominant as St Kilda controlled clearances 28-16 at half-time and 61-44 for the match.
"We were just getting beaten at the scramble. They were winning the ball when it hit the ground so we just had to get hungrier and tougher inside and we did that," he said.
"We probably handballed it a bit too much, we just needed to get it forward to our big fellas because Charlie and Schulzy are great targets down there.
"It's great as a midfielder looking up and seeing them down there."
Boak also said the Power needed to refine their risky ball movement from defence if it continued to hurt them, with 58 of St Kilda's first 62 points coming from turnovers according to coach Ken Hinkley.
"I think the options were on, we spoke about that, we just didn't hit our kicks and they scored off them a little bit too much," Boak said.
"There's a point where we've got to say we can't take them on as much if they're not coming off."
But the Power skipper was confident another hard-earned win would sharpen his side for a crunch Showdown against cross-town rival Adelaide on Saturday.
"We think we had a great game against Richmond in the NAB Challenge, it was a hard-fought game and today was another big grind," he said.
"We embrace those games and what a perfect way to go into a Showdown."
Port Adelaide plays the Adelaide Crows in Showdown XL on Saturday 2 April at the Adelaide Oval at 1.15pm.
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